Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-09-01
FREEDOMS BREAK.
Unsuccessful Attempt 10
Escape from Prison by
Murderer Pcmeroy.
The Second Time he has Made The
Bid---Working at it for Many
Months.

BosToN, Mass, Aug. S1.-Jessie Pom
eroy, now serving a life sentence in
Charleston state prison, for child torture
md murder, made a second desperate bid
for freedom, and but for the vigilance OF
the guard, would have been successful.
Before the reconstruction of the prison,
and its extension, Pomeroy occupied a
cell in the upper arch, and was always
closely watched. When the extension OF
the prison began, one section was torn
down, and the wing extended, n some
sixty new cells added. In the arch ad.
joining this new wing are several speci-
ally strong cells, which, from their pc.
culiar construction, was considered be-
You'd the power of any prisoner to break.
On either side of these cells are grated
bars, allowing a full view of the narrow
quarters from both sides, and the guard,
as he made the rounds, could be contin-
ually in sight of the cells and inmates.
Directly over the arch is the hospital,
and 1t is thought that from this place
possibly came the assistance which SO
nearly gave the murderer his liberty.
All the tools found upon his person when
detected were a couple of very fine saws
of sterling steel, but how they came into
his possession is a mystery to the prison
officials. The attempt ut escape was dis
covered at night. For months, evidently,
the work had been going on, and all ar
rangements had been made for a hasty
fight, once outside the prison yard.
Besides the strict surveillance, Pome-
roy had steadily been at work on the bars
of his cell, and had been SO successful
that ingress and egress by removing them
was as simple as coul~ be imagined, and
during the night he furthered his at
tempt by similar work on the bars of the
window which are near his cell and
which look out into the prison yard.
During the regular round Edward Gill,
the guard, leaning against the window
carelessly, felt two of those sturdy iron
ratings give way beneath the pressure of
his hand, and a moment later they fell
gathering to the ground. A second
glance showed hat the bars on either
side had been worked on, and but a few
minutes' labor would render them as
useless as the broken ones.
Hastily summonihg the officials, an
other inspection was made, the broken
and damaged bars replaced with perfect
ones, n q tour of the cells was begun.
As though by instinct the body made for
! Pomeroy'a cell. At a casual glance he
two massive iron gratings seemed i'm.
pregnable, but closer scrutiny showed
that bars sufficient in the sid nearest the
window to admit the body of a man had
been completely cut through, but SO
fastened by means of g~elatine that even
the heavy changing of the door refused to
shake them. Where this gelatine was
concealed the guard has not yet, it is be-
lleyed, ascertatned, though constant
searching of the cell has been made.
Porneroy was Immediately removed to
safer quarters and searched, but nothing
was found on his person save the two
slender saws. He refused to disclose who
furnished them, where the gslatine had
been obtained, or how long the work
q been going on, though 1t is said In
the conversation sufficient was dropped
to cave the Inference that 80 skillfully
had the affair been planned that even the
time tor escape WIS definitely fixed, and
accommodations would be In waiting to
transfer him to place Of safety. Since
femeroy's. incarceration, soma fifteen
years, ne has been in solitary cont1ne.
ment, save for an occasional hours out
ing with the warden necessary for health.
During the remaining time, when not